City Leaders Say They Want To Help Protect Citizens

But in case fortunetellers didn't predict possibly being banned, the city mailed them notices earlier this month.

The city is worried some of the operators could defraud vulnerable people out of money. So today it will consider a proposed ban that, if approved, would immediately prohibit any soothsayers from opening new stores that offer spiritual readings and prophecies.

The proposed ordinance would ban new stores immediately and the others would have to stop fortunetelling after September 2009.

Other cities, such as Pompano Beach and Wilton Manors, have banned soothsayers, too, due to fraud concerns.

Three current businesses with occupational permits for "fortunetelling, astrology, clairvoyance and similar uses" would be allowed to operate in the city until Sept. 30, 2009. The city gave them a three-year window to let them recoup expenses.

None of the Lauderhill businesses have had criminal run-ins with police, city police Lt. Tundra King said.

Two of them -- St. Angie Botanica Religious, at 2469 NW 40th Ave., and 7th Heaven, at 7159 W. Oakland Park Blvd. -- plan to continue selling religious materials after the ban. This would be allowed, because the proposed ordinance only prohibits the spiritual consultations.

Those two stores can continue to sell merchandise because they also have retail sales licenses, said Earl Hahn, the city's planning and zoning director. But if the city later gets complaints about stores fortunetelling, the ban would let the city shut them down, Hahn said.

Ribert Mones, the owner of St. Angie Botanica Religious, said he is not practicing the supernatural at his store.

Kettly Guilbaud, the owner of St. George and Santa Barbara Religious Store Botanica, at 1821 NW 38th Ave., couldn't be reached for comment. A flier for her store touts "Lady Nada" as a "gifted healer and spiritualist" who helps with clients' legal decisions and family issues.

Lauderhill's concerns began in 2002, when the Miss Cleo "psychic hot line" made headlines amid accusations Access Resource Services Inc., the Fort Lauderdale-based company that marketed the hot line, defrauded customers of millions of dollars. Though the company waived or reimbursed customers' fees to reach agreements with several states, Lauderhill decided to look into prohibiting fortunetelling.

At least one worker at one of the stores questioned the city's efforts, saying it is infringing on freedom of speech.